Transport Mechanisms in Electrokinetic Nanoscale Channels

Abstract

We investigate electrokinetic transport in nanometer-scale fluidic channels. Our study includes numerical studies of nanofluidic transport of both charged and uncharged analytes in conditions of finite Debye layer thickness and high zeta potentials. The models are based on continuum mass transport and field theory. We also perform an experimental parametric study using etched nanoscale channels. Experimental results agree with model predictions and show that bulk electrokinetic transport in nanoscale channels depends strongly on the shape and size of the EDL and on the effects of transverse electrophoretic migration.